How Indian LinkedIn Influencers Find Brand Deals in Malaysia
India’s working professionals have turned a platform meant for finding jobs into a way to make money, and lucrative brand deals—on LinkedIn of all places.
In a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, 60% of users have now stated that they regularly engage with influencers on the platform. More than 50% said they had purchased a product because of a post they saw there.
While the survey also said that 41% of users in India have themselves posted content about their profession, and 39% say they are looking to boost their visibility, some users are leveraging their reach on LinkedIn for monetary gain.
LinkedIn influencer marketing is the new frontier for brands in Malaysia, and Indian influencers are leading the charge.
While the nature of LinkedIn may make it seem like influencers on the platform should be business coaches or career experts, influencers from all walks of professional life are finding brand deals there.
A recent blog post by digital marketing agency, Awakened Media, states that “LinkedIn influencers can be anyone from wardrobe stylists and makeup artists to life coaches and career experts.”
Connecting on a personal level
Users on LinkedIn want to see content that is relevant to their industry and career. They do not want to see the same types of content they might get on Instagram or Facebook. Because of this, LinkedIn influencers often cultivate a personal brand that showcases their skills and expertise, but in a way that connects with their audience on a more personal level.
This is similar to how influencers on Instagram create content that is relevant to their audience and tailored to the platform. Their content has to stand out from the crowd.
The difference is that LinkedIn influencers often go for a more professional approach to their posts and videos, while still managing to inject their personality into the content. This difference is what attracts the audience that LinkedIn influencers want to reach.
Since people on LinkedIn are primarily looking to network and advance their careers, they often gravitate toward content that will help them do just that.
Because of this, LinkedIn influencers have to provide value through their content—whether it be through tips and tricks, how-to guides, informative posts, or inspiration—without coming off as too salesy.
They must aim to connect with their audience and build a relationship with them.
It is this approach that has led to many Indian LinkedIn influencers being tapped for brand deals in Malaysia.
Indian LinkedIn influencers in Malaysia
The influx of Indian LinkedIn influencers into Malaysia has not gone unnoticed. The product manager for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, Rahul Dutta, said in a recent interview that Indian LinkedIn influencers are becoming the most sought after in Malaysia.
“This is mainly because of the time zone similarities between both countries and the shared cultural values,” he said.
According to a report published by the Indian Express, Dutta also said that Indian LinkedIn influencers on average have more than 1 lakh followers. This is a staggering follow count for any influencer on any platform, and it is undoubtedly part of the reason they are so sought after.
Dutta further stated, “India has the highest number of active creators on the platform, with 72% posting regularly and 60% engaging with other creators. India is also the world’s second-largest market for LinkedIn after the U.S. and is projected to become the largest in the next few years.”
Dutta’s comments were echoed in a blog post on the platform itself.
“With India’s relatively large population and workforce, it is expected that LinkedIn influencers will continue to grow in numbers and engagement rates,” states the post.
How Indian LinkedIn influencers get brand deals
Although Indian LinkedIn influencers are not only being tapped for brand deals in Malaysia, Malaysian brands are one of the biggest buyers of Indian LinkedIn influencer marketing.
A report published by the Indian news outlet, The Print, cites a media source from Malaysia that states more than 50% of LinkedIn influencers in the country are Indian.
The report also states that many Indian LinkedIn influencers have taken to the platform to share their experiences in getting brand deals in Malaysia, and how others can do the same.
In one such video, Indian LinkedIn influencer and coach, Nikita Nayak, shares how she secured a brand deal with a Malaysian company.
“What I did was, I reached out to a company based in Malaysia which sells organic skincare products. I messaged them on their LinkedIn page and asked them if they are open to collaboration. They replied saying they are interested and we had a video call,” Nayak shares in the video.
In her post, Nayak goes on to share that the company requested for her to create a testimonial video and give an honest review of their products in exchange for a collaboration.
When Nayak asked them how she would be compensated, the company offered her a package of their products worth 600 ringgits, which is around $130.
Nayak then asked them if they could pay her instead of sending products, and they agreed to pay her 600 ringgits via PayPal.
Nayak then goes on to share how she created the video for the company, and how they shared it on their page after she submitted it to them.
Payment methods for brand deals
Payment methods can greatly differ between brands and influencers. While many influencers may prefer to be compensated in products, others may prefer to be paid in cash.
Most Indian LinkedIn influencers getting brand deals in Malaysia seem to be getting paid via PayPal, which is a very popular payment method among cross-border brands and influencers.
A blog post on LinkedIn states that PayPal is still the most popular way for global brands to pay influencers.
According to the post, PayPal is also one of the most preferred payment methods among influencers. The post cites a survey conducted by the influencer marketing platform, Upfluence, which states that 50% of influencers prefer to be paid via PayPal.
PayPal’s popularity among Indian LinkedIn influencers getting brand deals in Malaysia may also help facilitate more influencers getting brand deals.
Brands tapping Indian LinkedIn influencers
As previously mentioned, Indian LinkedIn influencers are not the only ones getting brand deals in Malaysia, and they are not the only ones being sought after.
An article published by the Malaysian news outlet, The Star, cites a recent survey by LinkedIn which states that 75% of marketing professionals in Malaysia want to work with LinkedIn influencers more often.
While the survey states that digital content creators remain the most in-demand type of influencer, professionals in various fields are becoming increasingly sought after as well.
According to The Star, LinkedIn has seen a rapid increase in the number of creators on the platform. The number of content creators increased by 300% during the pandemic.
The platform has also seen a 100% increase in engagement among creators.
Despite the rapid increase in creators on LinkedIn, many brands have yet to tap the potential of LinkedIn influencer marketing.
According to the article from The Star, Johanna Boud, the head of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions for Asia Pacific, stated that the lack of awareness of LinkedIn influencer marketing among brands is a big reason for this.
Johanna Boud goes on to say that LinkedIn is actively working to raise awareness of the benefits of tapping influencers on the platform, and training brands on how to do so.
What does this mean for Indian LinkedIn influencers?
The increase of brands tapping Indian LinkedIn influencers for marketing in Malaysia is a lucrative opportunity for them.
LinkedIn influencers can charge a lot for a brand deal.
According to a blog post on the influencer marketing platform, Traackr, the average cost of an Instagram influencer with 10,000 followers is $100, while the average cost of an influencer on LinkedIn with the same amount of followers is $1,500.
This means that LinkedIn influencers can charge 15 times more for a brand deal than Instagram influencers.
The average cost of an influencer on LinkedIn with 100,000 followers is $5,000, while the average cost of an influencer on Instagram with the same amount of followers is only $1,000.
This means that LinkedIn influencers can charge five times more than Instagram influencers for the same follow count.
According to a report published on the website, Wyzowl, 79% of marketers say their return on investment is higher with influencer marketing than with other digital marketing channels.
If Indian LinkedIn influencers continue to be sought after for brand deals in Malaysia, they may very well find themselves in the ranks of other successful influencers who have turned their passion into a full-time job.
As the creator economy continues to thrive, brands will have no choice but to tap influencers wherever they can find them.
According to the blog post on LinkedIn, influencer marketing is here to stay, and it is only going to grow from here.
As the number of Indian LinkedIn influencers getting brand deals in Malaysia continues to increase, it is likely that we will see even more influencers rise up in the ranks.
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